Context

3rd State Food Safety Index (SFSI) of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has been recently released.

About

About State Food Safety Index

• The index is developed by FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) to measure the performance of states on five significant parameters of Food Safety.
• Five parameters of food safety:
  • human resources and institutional data
  • compliance
  • food testing facility
  • training
  • capacity building besides consumer empowerment
• The first State Food Safety Index for the year 2018-19 was announced on the first-ever World Food Safety Day on 7^th June 2019.

States ranking in the Index

• Larger states: Gujarat was the top ranking state, followed by Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
• Smaller states: Goa stood first followed by Meghalaya and Manipur.
• UTs: Jammu & Kashmir, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and New Delhi secured top ranks.

Significance of food safety

• Food safety helps to protect consumers from the risk of food borne illnesses. 

Food borne illnesses Food borne illnesses are usually infectious or toxic in nature.  They are caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemical substances entering the body through contaminated food or water. An estimated 4,20,000 people around the world die every year after eating contaminated food and children under 5 years of age carry 40% of the foodborne disease burden, with 1,25, 000 deaths every year.

• It also helps to prevent consumers from risks of health –related conditions such as allergy and even death.
• It also protects food processing establishments from product recalls which results in financial losses due to unsafe products.

Important facts World Food Safety Day is observed on June 7. In India, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is the apex food safety body. In October 2016, FSSAI operationalized Food Safety and Standards (Fortification of Foods) Regulations, 2016 to fortify staples, to reduce the high burden of micronutrient malnutrition, namely Wheat Flour and Rice (by Iron, Vitamin B12, and Folic Acid) Milk and Edible Oil (by Vitamins A and D) Double Fortified Salt (through Iodine and Iron) ‘+F’ logo has been notified for the identification of fortified foods.